Global Citizen

Humans have walked on the moon. Smartphones connect us across continents in seconds. Yet millions of people still live without electricity. Living without electricity means children can't study after sunset, health clinics lose power during critical care, medicines can't always be kept cold and safe, and small businesses struggle to grow. When the lights come on, everything changes.

Sudan's civil war, now in its fourth year, has become the world's largest displacement crisis and one of its most severe education emergencies. Every day, thousands of Sudanese make the difficult choice to flee their homes, pushing the number of displaced to well past 15 million. According to an August 2026 UN report, more than 8 million school-age children are out of school. Many children forced to flee face separation from their families and arrive terrified and hungry.

Small businesses don't just serve their communities. They shape them. For these businesses, supporting communities and addressing environmental challenges are central to their work. Global Citizen and PayPal created the Small Business Impact Awards to support entrepreneurs addressing social or environmental challenges. This year, 15 small business owners across four regions will each receive $20,000 USD to help grow their businesses.

On the night Doja Cat brought Move Afrika to SunBet Arena in Pretoria, Lutendo Madamela wasn't watching from the crowd. The 23-year-old was part of the crew that helped build the stage she performed on, working alongside Gearhouse's technical production team on load-in, rigging, and show setup.

Perth, your next night of live music could start with taking action. The Teskey Brothers will headline Global Citizen Nights: Perth on October 20, 2026, with performances by South Summit and Ruby Rodgers. The free, ticketed event will bring music, culture, and storytelling to Riverside Theatre at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre — and Global Citizens can earn tickets by taking action here.

When Anne Wafula Strike and her friends went to play, everyone had a role. If Strike fell, Evie would lift her onto her back. Rhoda would carry her leg braces, and together they would run. The girls played, rolled on the ground, and broke into song. Decades later, those moments remain central to how Strike remembers growing up with a disability in Kenya. Those friendships offered support in a childhood often marked by exclusion.

Sirikan “June” Charoensiri was only 29 when her country tried to paint her as an enemy of the state. It was 2015, a year after the military staged a coup to take control of Thailand. The new government declared martial law. Authorities detained civilians for up to seven days without charges, set a curfew, banned public gatherings of more than five people, and tried anyone accused of breaking the law in military courts, by military judges, with no independent oversight.

For farmers, knowing exactly when to water a crop, how much it needs, and whether changing conditions put a harvest at risk can make all the difference. But as climate change brings more unpredictable rainfall, extreme heat, and other shocks to the world’s food systems, making those decisions can increasingly become a guessing game. Luckily, some are hard at work removing that guesswork altogether.

The countdown to Global Citizen Festival 2026 is officially on. On Saturday, Sept. 26, some of the world’s biggest artists will take over Central Park’s Great Lawn for an unforgettable day of live music, special collaborations, and action on the issues shaping our world. If you have been waiting to make your Festival plans, now is the time. GET YOUR GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL TICKETS Who’s Performing at Global Citizen Festival 2026?

Music may be what first draws people to the Global Citizen Festival, but the Festival starts long before the first artist takes the stage. It begins when people learn about an issue and decide to take action. On Sept. 26, thousands of Global Citizens will gather on Central Park’s Great Lawn for a day of live music and advocacy, bringing artists, audiences, advocates, and leaders together around the same campaign goals. So, What Exactly Is Global Citizen Festival?